The Yankees rallied from a four-run deficit late to force extra innings, but ultimately fell to the Baltimore Orioles, 7-6, in 10 innings Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium.
Here are the takeaways...
-Gerrit Cole made his season debut on Wednesday after missing the first two-and-a-half months with nerve irritation in his right arm. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner was still not quite built up – limited to just 62 pitches – but showed flashes of his vintage self despite allowing two earned runs on three hits and a walk over four innings.
Cole struggled in the first, allowing a leadoff double to Gunnar Henderson and an RBI double to Ryan O’Hearn. But the right-hander responded with a 1-2-3 second inning and then struck out the side in the third (which also included a walk to Henderson).
He struck out two more in the fourth, bringing his total to five on the night, but was lifted in the fifth after a leadoff single to Cedric Mullins.
-Cole was attributed another run when Ron Marinaccio came in relief and immediately allowed Mullins to score on a two-run home run by Ramon Urias.
That was not the only blemish for Marinaccio, who entered the game with the score tied at 1-1. The right-hander also allowed a single, walk and a double for the Orioles to go up 4-1 before he finally got out of the fifth inning.
-Alex Verdugo saved the Yankees in the top of the ninth with an incredible defensive play that would have scored three runs and blown the game open. With the bases loaded and Anthony Santander at the plate, the Orioles slugger ripped a line drive to deep center field but Verdugo ran full speed and made the catch before crashing into the wall to end the inning.
Verdugo appeared a little banged up on the play but ultimately walked off the field and stayed in the game.
-Giancarlo Stanton continued to make his case for the All-Star Game on Tuesday with two clutch hits late in the game. In the seventh inning, Stanton crushed a 440-foot, three-run home run to narrow the score to 5-4.
But he was not done there. In the ninth, Stanton ripped a game-tying RBI single to left field with an exit velocity of 120 mph, scoring Anthony Volpe from second base as the Yankees forced extras.
-After Aaron Judge was forced to leave Tuesday’s game after being hit by a pitch in the left hand, the Yankees appeared to send a message to the Orioles. Yankees reliever Victor Gonzalez hit Baltimore star shortstop Henderson in the right arm with a fastball in the seventh inning.
Henderson took his base without any theatrics while the Yankees fans erupted in applause. Of course, it backfired putting Henderson on base as the Orioles extended the lead to 5-1 with a Ryan Mountcastle RBI double off of Tommy Kahnle later in the inning.
Game MVP: Cedric Mullins
Had the Yankees pulled through perhaps it would be Stanton, instead it's the Orioles outfielder. Mullins went 2-for-5 and came through when it mattered most in the 10th inning, hitting a go-ahead RBI single to put Baltimore up 6-5 and giving them a needed insurance run by swiping third base, which resulted in a throwing error and allowed Mullins to score.
